First Team

Let's do talking on the pitch

Ian Cathro knows only to get out of sticky situation is to win against Ross County.

Ian Cathro wants his players to do their talking on the pitch as Hearts look to get back to winning ways tomorrow night when Ross County come to town.

The Jambos are looking to bounce back after two disappointing defeats and the head coach has reiterated that his players know what it means to pull on the maroon jersey, and insists winning games is the only way to make things right.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Ian said: “There’s nobody here who doesn’t know. I think that’s important that people realise that.

“What we’ve allowed to happen through poor performances and poor results, in what was a poor week – a bad week – for this football club, is that we’ve allowed people to question those things about us.

“And that’s one of the things that hurts us the most, when people are allowed to ask those questions of us; do we know what this club means, is everyone ready, is everybody understanding of the importance of what it means to be a Hearts player, of what it means to fight for the Hearts shirt.

“We’ve allowed people to question that and that hurts us the most. And it’s not because we don’t know, we do know. We’re hurt because we’ve allowed that to be the case because we’ve not delivered.

“The only way that is resolved is not through me answering questions and speaking or anybody else speaking, the only way that is resolved is on the football pitch.

“I think that what we have to say is that players on the pitch have no option. They must know. I don’t feel any uncertainty or any nervousness about whether they do or they don’t.

“Everybody understands clearly the size, the importance, how much love and passion there is for this football club.

“This is tens and tens of thousands of people’s Real Madrid. It’s reality. That’s what brings us this responsibility. I want that and I’m pretty sure that the players do too.”

The Staggies visit Tynecastle tomorrow evening in the Ladbrokes Premiership and games between the two sides have been close encounters so far this season. Ian is anticipating another tough game against a side looking to make the top six.

“I think they are a very well organised team with clear ways of playing,” he said. “They’ve got good defensive organisation and I think they can be a pretty consistent team in the league.

“They’ve got evidence of that and they’ve got some players who can swing games with good quality in the forward areas. They can attack quickly with some good quality. I see a good team.”